Soccer
LAFC oust Cruz Azul to reach Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals

LAFC earned a 1-1 draw at LIGA MX giants Cruz Azul on Tuesday night to qualify for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals.

Denis Bouanga buried a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time to complete the 4-1 aggregate quarterfinal victory at Estadio Cuauhtémoc, following the Black & Gold’s dominant 3-0 home win in Leg 1.

Gabriel Fernández struck early for the hosts, scoring from the penalty spot after a Video Review call against Sergi Palencia.

The reigning CCC champions stayed on the attack, inspiring a Man-of-the-Match performance from LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who made eight saves. In the game’s dying moments, Bouanga put the series to bed.

LAFC will face either bitter rivals LA Galaxy or back-to-back LIGA MX champions Toluca later this month in the semifinals. That series gets decided Wednesday night, with Toluca holding a 4-2 advantage.

Goals

  • 18′ – CAZ – Gabriel Fernández (PK) | WATCH
  • 90+7′ – LAFC – Denis Bouanga (PK) | WATCH

Three Things

  • THE BIG PICTURE: Job done in Mexico. The Black & Gold bent but didn’t break and got a positive result in hostile territory for a well-deserved spot in the semifinals. They’re now one step closer to their third Champions Cup final, after runner-up finishes in 2020 and 2023.

— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) April 15, 2026

  • MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Hugo Lloris prevented Cruz Azul from getting a second goal just before the halftime break with this spectacular save.

Hugo Lloris keeps it a two-goal LAFC lead on aggregate just before half 😮‍💨@LAFC | @TheChampions pic.twitter.com/XaVtpa76oA

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 15, 2026

  • MAN OF THE MATCH: A game-changing goalkeeper for over two decades, Lloris continues to grow his legend at age 39.

Next Up

  • CAZ: Saturday, April 18 vs. Club Tijuana | 7 pm ET | LIGA MX Clausura
  • LAFC: Sunday, April 19 vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 7 ET (Apple TV) | MLS regular season